We all know Shining Aquas by now for his reviews, but nao I get to review HIS LEVEL! MUAHAHAHAH!

...

Well anyway, the title pretty much explains the level. It's really just a bunch of frustrating tests put together to see if you're an LBP god and so far the only one to finish is Whaaale, so I've begun to wonder if I want to be in that group. And really, I don't think anyone really cares about beating the Trial of Skill if they're having no fun. So obviously I kind of went into this level not expecting to like it, and maybe that's why I DIDN'T like it.

Visually, it's quite boring. For as far as I got it was the same 2 materials over and over again. I mean, it's pretty much only one step up from a dark matter level. Some of the decorations are cool, though, especially the beginning room, covered in all kinds of cool symbols. Again, none of us are those LBP artists, those who can make fantastic designs using a decoration creator worse than MS Paint, so it's forgivable. I can say that none of my levels have been very visually impressive.

The amount of "skill" you need for each little section of the level is inconsistent. Everything up until the dark matter section is a cake walk, and it's possible to walk right behind the spinning blades section. Then all of the sudden you are slapped with a section where you have to jump over dark matter that is constantly poofing up from one spot to another, and some parts really do just take a leap of faith. After my third attempt through the level I lost interest and just left. And when you feel like playing a level is a chore then the level fails and you realize that you're just playing a level to write a review of it.

It's not that I don't like levels that test my skill, either, but the way that this level does it I think is a bit shallow. I played a level called "The hardest level ever" and it obviously wasn't the hardest level ever because I beat it, but it offered a pretty difficult challenge. This challenge, though, is one I actually felt like doing. I had to ride a soccer ball over some fire, and it was pretty fun. Afterwords I had to jump on some little pieces of dark matter over some electrified dark matter and it was challenging enough, the dark matter didn't even move, it's just the way sackboy slides on dark matter and the way sack boy floats when he jumps that made it challenging enough.

The thing that this level doesn't do right is that it isn't fun. It's just difficult, and it's not hard to make a difficult level. Make 50 platforms that last for one minute and you have to make it across before you fall into the fire, then you have your difficult level. And it's not like a challenge is bad, but it offers no reason to beat the level other than to beat it. Perhaps if it offered an actual story, then it would be better. I remember losing on Twysted Tales 2 a couple times but I kept coming back for the fantastic story.

The only point to any game is to beat the game, but if every game's story was "This is a video game. You have a gun. Shoot people so that you beat the game" then every video game would be boring. So instead games mask the fact that all you're really doing is beating a game simply to beat it is by giving that game a story. Not a bad level, I'm not bashing SA as a creator, but it offers no reason to beat it. Sure, I'll be on the leader boards with Whaaale, but if I have to spend an hour practicing this level, then it really isn't worth it. But if I get the chance to ruin or destroy the world at the end, then I'd want to play through more.... :p

The Trial of Skill, I think, is something that should have existed in a level like the challenges in Miglioshin's (I think that's how you spell it) Fantasy Adventure. There it would have been fine, but alone it's really boring and it's a level I didn't really FEEL like playing. There are tons of levels that I could beat while being told a story and having fun. I mean, anyone who's looking to prove their LBP prowess, this is the level for you, but if you just want something simple and fun to play, you should avoid this one.

Now SA, you can review one of my levels, and tear it to shreds.:eek:

This is what happens when you play Trial of Skill:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/64/176533134_e611ef3ea7_o.jpg

Neverynnal

02-11-2009, 11:31 PM

lol@ the pic. While I agree the level isn't a masterpiece of perfection, it really isn't that bad. If you grew up with a NES when you were younger you would probably enjoy this level a bit more to be honest. It reminded me of the ridiculously hard challenges that you would find in a lot of the later levels in NES platforming games. Timed jumps, memorizing patterns and quickness. The beauty of this level, in my opinion, is after beating it you are for one: a better platformer, and two: so glad to have beat the **** thing.

As for the scoreboard, I was on there (along with a few others) unless SA republished it on a different spot when he did a makeover of the level.

Whalio Cappuccino

02-11-2009, 11:36 PM

Even though I agree that it's very difficult, and for most (not all) people it would be annoying.

I liked it, any challenge worth beating is a fine enough reason to beat it for me.

Which is why I beat it, after only like 7 tries so I'm satisfied. :p

Oh and by the way, I was suprised to see all this reviewing by you, I could've sworn that you said you're review would be just a picture... But maybe I misread it. Lol.

Neverynnal

02-12-2009, 06:08 AM

Yeah thats what I thought too haha :p

Shining Aquas

02-12-2009, 06:20 AM

Thank you for the review. Although, I feel the need to point this out if you plan on reviewing other levels

So obviously I kind of went into this level not expecting to like it, and maybe that's why I DIDN'T like it.

Part of being able to give a fully honest review is being able to go in without any prerendered opinions/misconceptions. Going into a level expecting it to suck could very easily make you hate the level without really giving it fair chance, and in reverse going into a level telling yourself it's going to be awesome could cause your brain to sometimes "force" you to like it even if in reality it's not as good as everyone makes it out to be.

I'm not gonna bash you for this (cause I expect people to generally not like this level, although for different reasons) but I must point it out because going into it with any degree of prejudice can veil your eyes with a tinted lens.

qrtda235566

02-12-2009, 09:40 PM

Thank you for the review. Although, I feel the need to point this out if you plan on reviewing other levels

Part of being able to give a fully honest review is being able to go in without any prerendered opinions/misconceptions. Going into a level expecting it to suck could very easily make you hate the level without really giving it fair chance, and in reverse going into a level telling yourself it's going to be awesome could cause your brain to sometimes "force" you to like it even if in reality it's not as good as everyone makes it out to be.

I'm not gonna bash you for this (cause I expect people to generally not like this level, although for different reasons) but I must point it out because going into it with any degree of prejudice can veil your eyes with a tinted lens.

And that is why I put that in the review.
The level is good for what it's trying to be, I just don't like what it's trying to be.